Combined ice-creeper and heel-protector.



No. 664,832. Pate nted Jan. l, mm. H. J. CHARLES.

COMBINED ICE GREEFEB AND HEEL PROTECTOR.

(Application filed Mar. 9, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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lINTTEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARLEY J. CHARLES, OF KNOXVILLE, ILLINOIS.

COMBINED lCE-CREEPER AND HEEL-PROTECTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,832, dated January 1, 1901.

Application filed March 9, 1899- Serial No. 708,371. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARLEY J. CHARLES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Knoxville, in the county of Knox and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Ice-Creeper and Heel-Protector; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object is to present a neat, durable, and effective ice-creeper which when in position for use upon the heel of a shoe will not be unsightly and which when not in use will obviate the presentation of an obstruction in walking and will not tend in any way to damage floor-coverings.

With these objects in View the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of an ice-creeper, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, I have illustrated a form of embodiment of my invention, it being understood that other forms of embodiment thereof may be employed without departing from the spirit of the same.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective displaying the heel portion of a shoe with the ice-creeper in position thereon immediately under the instep or at the front of the heel, the position of the same at the rear of the heel being indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of the creeper detached from the shoe. Fig. 3 is a similar view in rear elevation. Fig. 4: is a View in plan, and Fig. 5 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 5 5, Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the ice-creeper, the same being shown in this instance secured to the frontof the heel B of a shoe immediately under the instep, although, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the same is adapted to be secured to the rear portion of the heel, the only change in construction of the parts being to curve them to the proper degree to fit that portion of the heel snugly.

The creeper comprises two parts-a heelplate a and a toothed plate a These parts may be made of any suitable material combining cheapness and durability-as, for instance, cast-steel or malleable chilled castiron, or they maybe struck up from asuitable metal, as sheet-steel. The plate a comprises a flange a to fit against the inside of the heel and a second flange of to be secured to the bottom of the heel. The flange (1 is here shown as curved and provided with openings 0. through which screws, nails, or the like may be driven to secure the plate in position upon the heel. The center portion of the plate a is formed into a spring locking-tongue a", the same being accomplished by stamping out a three-sided slot a thus to form the tongue, and the tongue is reduced in thickness toward its top, whereby to give it the necessary yielding quality to permit of its readily operating. In this instance the tongue is integral with the plate a; but it is to be understood that, if preferred, it may be secured to the plate, and instead of being composed ofa single tongue it may be composed of two or more tongues. The slide-plate a is provided on one of its edges with a plurality of teeth a which are adapted to bite into the snow or ice, and thereby prevent slipping. This plate is preferably the same size as the plate a and is cut away at its center, as at a", to permit the tongue a to work therein and spring under the upper wall a of the recess a", and thereby hold the plate in its outwardprojected position, as shown in Fig. 1. The plate a is provided at each end with a transverse slot a through which passes a headed pin Q the latter also passing through openings e in the plate a, and the ends of these rivets are upset, so as to keep the two plates in proper working position with relation to each other.

hen the creeper is positioned upon a shoe and is not used as a creeper, it serves the function of a heel-protector, and will thus assist in causing the heel to wear squarely and prevent the same from running over. When it is to be used as a creeper, the plate a is pulled downward until the tongue a projects under the wall a of the plate a, and the toothed slide plate is then in position to contact with the snow or ice. When the creeper is not to be used as such, in order to depress .the plate a it is simply necessary to press the tongue (i inward to free its side from eontaot with the wall a and then force the plate a down level with the top of the plate a.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A combined ice-creeper and heel-protector, comprising a heel plate, a toothed slide-plate adjustably connected therewith, and a spring locking device constituting an integral part of the heel-plate and operating to hold the slide-plate in the desired adjustment, substantially as described.

2. A combined ice-creeper and heel-protector, comprising a heel-plate provided with a flange adapted to be secured to the heel, and with a spring locking-tongue, in coinbination with a toothed slide-plate adj ustably -connected with the heel-plate and provided with a recess adapted to be engagedby the locking-tongue, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. A combined ice-creeper and heel-protector, comprising a heel-plate formed with two flanges, one ofwhich bears against the face of the heel and the other being secured to theunder side of the heel, said plate being provided intermediate of its ends with a1ock-- ing-tongue, and a toothed slide-plate adj ustably connected with the heel-plate and pro vided with a recess with which the locking tongue is adapted to coact, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I hereby affix my sig-' nature in presence of two witnesses. I

HARLEY J. CHARLES.

Witnesses: v 7 V ISAAC B. GAULT, 7 CHARLES D. LiNDsEY. 

